Grease-cup.



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GREASE CUP. APIPLIOATIOH FILED TBB. 5, 1910.

979,826. Patented Dec. -2?., 1910.

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JAMES E'. CBAVEN, OF IFITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNGR- TO CRAVEN ENGINEER- ING- COMPANY, VNIA.

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To all who/m it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JAMES F. CnAvnN, a resident` of Pittsburg, .in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grease-Cups, of'which the following is a ferred to as a grease cup, but it will be understood that it is not intended thereby to 'limit its usel to lubricants which are `ordinarily spoken of as grease.

The object of the invention is to provide a grease cup by means of which the lubricant can be positively fed to the bearing in the desired amount or at the desired rate of speed, which'is so constructed that it will protect the lubricant and bearing against dirt and grit', and which occupies a minimum amount of` space and presents no objectlionablle' projections or obstructions.

`The invention comprises the construction and arrangement. f parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a vertical section through my improved `grease cup showing the same when the cup is practically full of grease; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the posi-` tion they assuine when the cup is nearly empty; Fig. 3 isr ahorizontal section on the line 8 3, Fig. 1 ;`I"ig. 4L is a similar section on the line 4I-4L,`Fig. 25 and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l showinga modification.

The cupl comprises a suitable casing l, which is shown as'formed froma short 4piece of tubing, and is threaded internally.

The lower end thereof is closed by means of a bottoml piece Q, which is threaded into the lower end of the casing, and is provided with a downward projection or nipple 3, which is threaded externally for connection to the machine bearing, as is the usual practice. The bottom piece is provided with a dished or conical top face t, and is provided Specification of Letters atent.

OF PITISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORORATION OF PENNSYL- GREASE-CUP.

Patented Dee. 2?, i916.

Application filed February 5, 1910. Serial No. 542,289.

with the feeding opening 5 through which the lubricant passes to the bearing.

The lubricant is placed in the. cup or cas-- ing l, and is forced out of the same through the opening by means of a piston or plunger 6. This may be forced downwardly in various ways, and as shown, is provided with projections T, which, on their outer or peripheral faces are threaded to engage the internal threads of the casing l, so that the rotation of the piston causes it totravel up anddown, depending upon the direction in which it is rotated. Various means can be provided for rotating this piston and causing it to travel up and down. As shown in Figs. l to 4, there is provided a tube 8, which projects down into the casing 'and is provided with vertical slots 9, through which the threaded projections 7 of the piston extend. Tube 8 is secured to a suitable top or cap 10, provided with 'a downwardly extending sleeve or apron l1, which projects over the casing l and assists in preventing dust working up into the cup, and which is externally Hated or knurled so it may be readily grasped in order to turn the same. It is obvious that the rotation of the cap 10 carries with it the tube 8 and piston 6, and since the latter has a threaded connection with the casing l, said piston is caused to travel up or down, such upward and downward movement being permitted by the vertical slots 9 in the tube 8.

To hold the cap l() in place, I provide a spring l2, lying 'inside of the cap and projecting through walls in the tube 8 'and provided with projections 13, forming spring catches adapted to engage an annular groove 14- in the outer face of the casing l near its upper end. These spring catches lie in recesses 15 in the inner face of cap 1'() and are thereby prevented from coming out of `the cap. They prevent the cap from lifting under ordinarycircumstances, but do not prevent the same from being pulled or lifted ott by the piston when the cap is turned to rai-se the'piston sufliciently far to press against the upper end of the slots 9 in the tube S which is secured to the cap. This is necessary in order to permit a fresh supply of lubricant to be` placed in .the cup.

In use, the cup is screwed into the bearing as is usual. The cap is removed and the lubricant, preferably a grease, placed inside ion .of thc'tube 8, and the latter then inserted into thc casing 1.v The cap is then rotated kcausing the threaded projections? on piston forces the lubricant out ofthe cup and into the bearing. The cap will be rotated from time to time, as may be necessary to supply the required amount of lubricant tothe bearing. 7When the cup is empty, or practically so, the cap 10 is rotated inthe reverse direction until the piston is entirely freed from the threads in the casing, said piston at its extreme outer movement bearing against the cap and lifting the latter ofi' the casing. The cup can then be filled with ait'resh supply of lubricant.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification in which in lieu of the slotted tube 8 for rotating the piston 6, a pair of rods 1G are employed, said rods being carried by the cap l() and pro-l jecting loosely through holes in the piston 6, so that the latter is free to slide on said rods while being rotated thereby. In this case the piston can be threaded around its entire periphery.

One or morev depressions 16 are preferably provided in the bottom of groove 14, into which the projections 13 of spring l2 can drop and retard the free rotation of the cap 10. The depression or depressions can be so placed as to stop the rotation of cap 10 at each full, half, or other fraction of rotation of the cap. This insures the rotation of the cap through different degrees and insures a uniform supply of lubricant to the bearing.

By means ot' the cupA describeda proper supply of lubricant is insured, as the same is positively fed into the bearing. The cup is so well closed that dust and grit cannot work into the same. By reason of the vertical movement of piston 6, relatively to its rotating means, to Wit, the tube 8, objectionf able projections or helght is prevented. In fact, the cap 10, or equivalent rotating means, is at exactly the same elevation When the c'up is full as When it is empty, which is not. the case with the usual grease cups in Which screws or the like are used to force the grease into the bearing, which screws project upwardly to an objectionable extent .when the cup is full.

What I claim is: Y

1. A grease cup comprisingfa casing inclosing a' chamber to receive the grease and provided in its bottom with .anopening for the discharge of the grease, a plunger vertically movable' xin saidfchamber to expel the grease, a rotata`ble.closure for said casing, and means connected to said closure and surrounding the body of grease and -arranged to actuate said plunger, said plunger tions permitting movement; of the plunger vertically relatively to the rotating means.

3. A grease cup comprising a casing inelosing a chamber to receive the grease and provided in its bottom with a grease discharge opening, a rotatable plunger in said casing and having threaded connectionV therewith, a rotatable closure for said casing, and means actuated by said rotatable closure and arranged to rotate said plunger, said plunger and rotating means being provided with inter-engaging sliding connections.

4. A grease cup comprising a casing inclosing a chamber and provided in its bottom with a grease discharge opening and being internally threaded, a cap, a'tube carried thereby and projecting down into the casing and provided with vertical slots, a plunger provided with` projections extendmg through said slots and threaded externally to engage the internal threads of the casing.

5. A grease cup comprising a casing in- -..vclosing a chamber and provided in its bottom with a grease discharge opening and being internally threaded, a plunger having .a threaded connection with said casing, a

rotatable cap closing said casing, Ameans projecting from said cap and engaging the plunger and allowing independent vertical movement of the plunger, and means conf neeting the cap and casing for preventing accidental separation thereof.

6. A grease cup comprising a casing inclosing a chamber to receive the greaseand provided in its bottom with a grease discharge opening andbeing internally threaded, a plunger in said casing and externally threaded to engage the internal threads on the casing, a cap closing said casing, a spring carried by said 'ca and engaging an annular groove in the casing, and a member projecting from the cap and engaging the plunger to rotate the latter and permit independent vertical movement thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have `hereunto set' my hand.

JAMES F. CRAVEN. Witnessesz F. W. WINTER, JAS. L. WELDoN. 

